The present invention relates to a process for producing sheet material similar in appearance to but cheaper than natural leather, by processing any known type of imitation leather consisting of sheet material comprising a polymer matrix in which are embedded natural or synthetic fibers.
A lot of industrial applications, such as interior decorating or upholstering, do not always require high-tech materials. In the case of imitation leather, in particular, the only characteristic often required of the material is that it should look like natural leather. Whereas, for high fashion applications, imitation leather must not only look but also "feel" like natural leather, for interior decorating and other applications ranging from footwear to upholstering, very often the only requirement is that the material should look like natural leather, while at the same time being cheaper than both natural leather and high-tech microfibrous synthetic materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,014 filed by the present Applicant relates to a chemical process for converting imitation leather with a microporous polymer matrix into a material that, to the naked eye, is undistinguishable from natural leather. Notwithstanding the technical characteristics (abrasion and flame resistance, workability, etc.) of the material, which are superior to even those of natural leather, it is relatively expensive to produce, the best results being obtained by processing the same raw material used for producing imitation leather by the name of "SOFRINA" (registered trade mark) which is one of the best and most expensive currently available on the market. Moreover, the above process requires that the imitation sheet material be of a microporous type, which requires superior quality and, therefore, high-cost raw material.